How to Plan a Bathroom Renovation

Looking to Plan a Bathroom Renovation? Renovating your bathroom can be as equally terrifying as it is an exciting opportunity to spruce up your home. There are so many moving parts involved in giving your bathroom the makeover it deserves, and the idea of getting to the finish line can seem intimidating.

Fortunately, with some careful planning, your bathroom renovation can be much less stressful, much less expensive and much more fun. This post will take you through how you can plan the dream bathroom makeover.

Before we start, set your budget

It’s all too tempting to waltz into the process of bathroom renovation, hoping to make good financial decisions as you go. Budgets may feel limiting, but it’s absolutely essential to set them before the planning process begins.

Consider demolition, plastering, plumbing and electricity as well as the actual cost of materials. These can add up extremely quickly, so you should set some strict budgetary guidelines to ensure you don’t end up out of money halfway through the job.

Map out your bathroom taste

A great way to kick off the planning process is to get out your trusty scrapbook and brainstorm what you like and don’t like in a bathroom. This will help guide the process of selecting features, fixtures and fittings later on.

Jump on your computer and look through Google Images or Pinterest to find some bathroom inspiration. If you see things you particularly like, write it down or print it out; if you see things you hate, do the same. These notes will help jog your memory through the sometimes intimidating shopping process.

It’s also a great idea to head down to your local home renovations store to pick up some colour and texture samples for tiles. You can keep these alongside your notes, to help better formulate an idea of your dream bathroom.

Analyse what you’re working with

Make sure you carefully examine the existing layout of your bathroom, paying close attention to where existing plumbing and electricity outlets are positioned. If you can work around their existing position, you will save yourself a lot of time and money when renovating.

Of course, if you really want to move things around, it is possible – you will just have to pay more money to have this done, which can add up.

While you’re doing this, take note of what condition your existing plumbing and electricity is in. Renovating is a good opportunity to take care of old issues that may have been causing issues. Also, many new appliances and fittings may not work with older inlets and outlets. It’s important to find this out as early as possible.

Finally, get out the tape measurer and take down measurements for every possible length you can find. Take notes carefully. These measurements will be your textbook when planning out the new layout for your bathroom, and you don’t want to get anything wrong, or waste time re-measuring.

The 60-30-10 rule

One of the tricks of the trade is to think about a “60-30-10” rule when planning out the colouring for your new bathroom. Following this rule will leave you with a beautiful, clean aesthetic.

60% of the room should be your main colour (typically some shade of white), 30% should be your mid-range colour and the final 10% can be used for your bold and sharper accent colour. The accent colour can usually be applied through rugs and linen.

Don’t forget the small details

There are many small things in your bathroom that will end up making a big difference. You don’t to neglect these issues and then live to regret it.

For example, pay very close attention to where you position towel rails. Are they within reaching distance from the shower? Are they too close to the toilet? These little details could bug you for years if not considered beforehand.

Is the toilet roll holder awkwardly far away from the actual toilet? You would be surprised how many people disastrously position this simple item, out of lack of thought.

If your bathroom is small, use larger tiles to make the space feel larger. Use smaller or mosaic tiling to draw attention to details and to accent. Consider where you can capture natural lighting, as this can make a huge difference in opening up a small space.

Remember to plan for storage

People often get very excited about where the shower and basin will go in their new bathroom, without thinking about storage options.

Storage is one of the most important features of a bathroom; amongst shampoo, soap, toilet paper, towels, makeup and the countless other things you keep in your bathroom, it can be easy to run out of room.

Don’t forget to allocate space for a small shelf, as well as a cabinet above your basin. Modern interior designers are also making great use of cavities in the wall to find extra space for storage. For example, a nice cavity in the shower wall can be ideal for keeping your shampoo and soap.

Make sure you have your backup ready

Many people forget that during a bathroom renovation, they might not have a functioning bathroom in their house anymore!

Make sure you plan what you are going to do when your shower is out of action. Is there a shower at work or at the gym? Are you friendly with your neighbours? This can be a huge issue for many while renovating.

Don’t forget permits

Many bathroom renovations will involve structural changes, particularly seeing they very often require the complete re-waterproofing of the room. If you are making such a change, like removing a wall or changing utilities, you will likely need a building permit.

If you are using builders, they should apply for this permit on your behalf. A lot of the time, only a registered building practitioner or architect can even get the permit anyway.

If you choose to do it yourself, without permits, you could be acting illegally (not to mention dangerously). The council may fine you, and demand it be removed or corrected. This is why it’s almost always a good idea to work with architects and builders when planning a large bathroom renovation, rather than trying to do it yourself.

Key takeaways

Planning for your bathroom renovation can seem impossible, but with a bit of direction, the process can be much less stressful.

Always set a budget before planning, so you have reasonable guidelines to work within financially.

Map out a clear understanding of what you like and don’t like in your bathrooms, and use this to guide your shopping process.

Small details when it comes to colour, lighting and position can make a huge difference in your final product. Don’t forget to allocate significant space for storage.

Have your bathroom backup plan ready for the duration of the renovation and make sure to work with builders and architects to get the requisite permits.